Executed
by Happiness's Deceit
Summary: Spoilers up through the end of R2. Suzaku is the executioner, and he has long accepted it.


**Code Geass belongs to its respective publishers and creators. I own nothing par the story below. **

**Warning: **_**This contains spoilers all the way to the end of Code Geass R2, so read at your own discretion!**_

* * *

_There are two of them, two who are invading Suzaku's home. _

_One is a girl who is small and quiet._

_One is a boy who is angry and always frowning._

_But both are small and pale and pretty, reminding Suzaku of dolls, and both are Britannian. _

* * *

Suzaku is the executioner, and he has long accepted it.

The one who is to be executed is one he loves and will forever remember.

The one who is to be executed is one who has chosen to be killed.

The thought is unfathomable, to him, perhaps, but it what has been decreed and Suzaku is nothing if not loyal. So he will swing down the blade. He will create the peace he has dreamed of since his childhood. He will create the peace that he has spilt blood for in the past, and will accept the gift that his dearest friend has given him.

It isn't sorrow that pulls tears out of his eyes, no matter what anyone else says. It is happiness, joy that finally, (_finally_) gentle Lelouch will be free from this cruel, cruel world. Lelouch is still a child (_still pure_) who realizes loss but does not let it stop him from looking at the world with shining eyes for the future.

Bismarck had once said that it was kindness that honed Suzaku's violence into purpose, into warfare. If that is so, Suzaku thinks that it's no wonder that Lelouch touched so many people, a kind of kindness that was all-encompassing yet so partial. He thinks it's no wonder that Lelouch is so powerful.

At the same time, Suzaku wants to blame Nunally, wants to scream at her for making this come to be. Except he knows it's not her fault, no more than it is his…

His vision is blurring, and that's no good because he's not even upon Emperor Lelouch yet—

But he won't get hit, because that will destroy the peace before it even starts. And he's running, faster and faster and he's silent (_except that his heart is screaming)_ as tears are dripping.

This mask is for the martyr. Suzaku understood that when he accepted it. Lelouch had created it to make a future. But Lelouch has suffered far too much already. He has been suffering since Suzaku had first met him, no matter how much he smiled.

So Suzaku would become the executioner, and put his gentle, delicate friend to peace. And in doing so, the world would start towards that peace, too.

* * *

_The girl was nice, even though she was blind and Suzaku or the boy had to push her everywhere. And that was kind of a pain. But she was nice, smiling and gently encouraging._

_The boy was stubborn, annoying and snobby. He was everything that Suzaku hated about the stupid Britannians, and he hadn't gotten rid of that stupid attitude even now that he was in the midst of the Japanese. _

_And Suzaku didn't want to admit it, but maybe if the stupid boy had been one of the Japanese, they would have been great friends. But he's not—he's __**Britannian**__, and that means Suzaku hates him._

_Suzaku thinks. Maybe._

* * *

Suzaku can see Karen so clearly now, can see Nunally and Schneizel, can see the face of _Lelouch_. He is waiting. Waiting for a single shake of that dark head that will stop him from doing this _and maybe it's a useless hope but it's a hope nonetheless._

The order never comes, and Suzaku wishes that he had a Geass, that he had a way to tell Lelouch that this wasn't right. A way, _any_ way that could keep his friend alive. And even though Lelouch has killed so many people, Suzaku knows he's still pure, still deserves to live. Lelouch won't look at it like that, though.

Lelouch puts less weight in his life than he should, considering his heritage. Suzaku would scold him if he had the time, but now it's kind of running short, isn't it?

And it would be rather hypocritical of him, too, but Suzaku doesn't think about that.

* * *

_Lelouch is Britannian, Suzaku knows. It shows up in his manner of speaking and his mannerisms. _

_And also in his incompetence to do anything physical, but Suzaku was whacked for saying that, so he keeps that one to himself (and snickers about it). _

_What Suzaku knows about Lelouch now is that he's really gentle, and he likes to wear masks a lot. He's also fun to tease, hence why Suzaku is out here at this time of the day anyway. He peeks over the edge of the slope, watching Lelouch (Lelouch in Suzaku's clothes and half-asleep at six in the morning) as he struggles to get a foothold. _

"_C'mon Lelouch," Suzaku calls down. "You're going to miss it."_

_He can barely keep back a snicker of glee when Lelouch scowls up at him. _

_But the Britannian has his pride (like all people do) and tries to climb. Suzaku is impressed when Lelouch manages to find a good foothold. The smaller boy starts to climb up at hill at a slow pace, but he's moving up._

_And then Lelouch's foot slips and he stumbles down the slope, hitting the ground. Suzaku sits up then, eyes wide, because what if Lelouch is hurt really bad and stupid Britannians for being so delicate in everything! And Suzaku watches for a little while, getting nervous and slides down the slope to help Lelouch get up._

_Lelouch gets up before Suzaku is half-way down the slope and is scowling. His pants are torn and he's bleeding on his knee. He's got some bruises forming that Suzaku know will hurt because he's had bruises like that before from Todou-_sensei.

_Suzaku reaches Lelouch, and says, "Well, that's okay. We can hike up a different way." Then Suzaku holds out a hand, and is only half-surprised when Lelouch stands up himself. _

_Lelouch scowls at him more and a bright color touches his cheeks. And then the pale boy stares up the slope and tries to climb it again. _

_And Suzaku watches as Lelouch, bleeding, stumbles down the slope again and again._

_But every time, Lelouch gets up, and before Suzaku can say anything, he's climbing again. _

_Suzaku watches as he slips but gets back up again. _

* * *

Lelouch is staring up at him, smiling.

Suzaku knows that he's not allowed to be Suzaku for this, no matter how much Lelouch wants him to be.

Zero is the one that brings down the sword.

**Zero is the one who kills Lelouch.**

* * *

"_I hate Britannia." Lelouch says. "I hate it and I'm going to change it."_

_Suzaku looks at his delicate friend, dirty and bleeding from his climb, but smiling, and said, "I'll help."_

_Lelouch looked a little put out at that, Suzaku thinks, but his friend is too gentle to do something like change an entire nation. Lelouch is stubborn enough, though, and Suzaku says so. _

_Lelouch scowls, and climbs down the hill, slipping only once. When he reaches the bottom, he sticks his tongue out the larger boy above. "I'll change the world," he boasts, "just watch."_

* * *

And Suzaku watches as Lelouch, bleeding, stumbles down the slope.

But this time, Suzaku is sure he won't be getting up.


End file.
